In olden times, Kingdoms and governments did not have navies. They would license private ships (Privateers) To capture their enemies’ shipping and goods. These licenses were called Letters of Marque and have been issued by all the major seafaring nations since the thirteenth century.

Privateers sailed under the protection of Letters of Marque. They were privately owned warships commissioned by a belligerent nation to carry-on naval warfare for profit. The captured ships, booty and plunder would be divided between the issuing government, the vessel’s owner, and her crew. It was legal piracy. In the 18th century 365 Letters of Marque were issued from just Boston alone.

In the days of fighting sail, a letter of reprisal was a government license authorizing a person (known as a privateer) to attack and capture enemy vessels and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale. A Letter of Reprisal usually allowed the Captain to capture only one ship as compensation for an injury done to the Captain.

Admiralty Reports is an exciting collection of miscellaneous maritime documents covering a wide range of nautical and historical events from pirates’ trials, hangings, battles and the beheading of a King.

Reports on naval engagements, pirate trials, hangings, maroonings and a host of other maritime topics collected over many years from many different sources.

Articles were an important agreement between the crew and the captain of any pirate vessel because they spelled out the conditions under which the crew would agree to sail with the pirate captain. A privateer’s ship did not have Articles because they were governed by naval regulations which they seldom followed. Privateers were little better than pirates.

All the crew members of a pirate ship signed articles at the beginning of the cruise in which they agreed that all prizes taken on the cruise would be divided among the owners, officers, and crews in the proportions set forth in the articles.